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Global Compact International Yearbook 2013
Mr. Christopher A. Viehbacher, CEO, Sanofi and
Dr. Robert Sebbag, Vice President, Access to Medicines,
Sanofi at Bodo sleeping sickness treatment center, Chad
melarsoprol, and eflornithine) to find a
solution to the problemof access to drugs.
On May 3, 2001, a landmark agreement
was signed between WHO and Aventis,
initially for a five-year period. The objec-
tives of this agreement were to restore
control activities; to ensure systematic
screening of sleeping sickness and avail-
ability of medicines; and to train staff in
endemic countries. This agreement was
renewed by Sanofi in 2006 and 2011,
each time for another five years. From
2006
onwards, the partnership with
WHO was extended to include other
neglected tropical diseases such as leish-
maniasis, Chagas disease, Buruli ulcer,
and yaws.
Beyond drug donations, Sanofi provides
WHO with funding to support training,
logistics, and infrastructure. From 2001
to 2012, Sanofi has provided $60 million
in financial support and sleeping sick-
ness drug supplies to WHO.
At the London declaration meeting on
Neg­lected Tropical Diseases, held in
January 2012, in the presence of Dr.
Margaret Chan, Director General ofWHO,
Sanofi pledged to provide sleeping sick-
ness medication until the disease was
eliminated.
On the path to elimination
The results speak for themselves. To
date more than 20 million people in
endemic areas have been screened for
sleeping sickness, andmore than 170,000
patients have received treatment for
what is a fatal disease, if left untreated.
Through public awareness, control, and
surveillance programs implemented
in endemic countries, the number of
new cases reported has also dropped
by some 72 percent – from more than
25,000
in 2001 to less than 7,000 in 2011
(
the estimated number of total cases is
currently 30,000). These results have
been achieved despite the complexity
of the screening process required to
detect the parasite in remote areas of
sub-Saharan Africa with little medical
infrastructure (this process involves an
antigen-antibody blood test followed, if
positive, by a lymph gland puncture, or
blood film, to be reviewed by a skilled
technician under the microscope, and
finally a lumbar puncture and analysis
of the cerebral spinal fluid, should evi-
dence of the parasite have been found
in the prior tests).
sanofi
“
The key to success in fighting these diseases is the need
to address the multidimensional factors. What is the point
in a pharmaceutical company providing treatments, if
there are insufficient resources on the ground to provide
the healthcare that is needed, or if people are not aware
of the symptoms, and cannot be correctly diagnosed and
treated?
Since the beginning of our partnership, we have worked
closely with WHO to identify the real needs of people. We
have ensured that our commitment not only includes, but
also goes beyond, donations of medicines. As a result of
the resources we have committed, and the tremendous
passion and dedication of the teams, WHO can ensure that
trained staff, efficient screening and diagnosis, treatment,
disease surveillance, and health education are available
and made accessible to all patients.
Thanks to WHO’s leadership and the combined efforts of
national control programs, academia, nongovernmental
organizations, and pharmaceutical companies, we can look
forward to the day when the word ‘neglected’ no longer
applies to tropical diseases. I would like to congratulate
and commend all those involved in this endeavor.”
Mr. Christopher A. Viehbacher, CEO, Sanofi